Driving on roads that are advised as closed

Slogger Jogger

Just read the latest press release from Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue.. How many times in recent days has the news said that the Wicklow and Sally gaps are impassable? Still, you have people trying to drive them. They probably feel they are equiped in that they have 4x4s, but even with 4x4s thats no guarantee of getting through, as the press release shows, even the mountain rescue vehicles could only get so far. You probably really need snow chains and specialist training to boot.

Do the rescuees not feel a little bit stupid in these situations? I hope they make a sizeable contribution to the rescuers. I was wondering if it merited having barriers at the entry points to these routes which are closed down to stop entry when roads are quite obviously impassable. That is probably a bit nanny state, but you have to feel sorry for those that have to rescue these people (nearly said muppits...).

Mothman

RTE news :eek:

Wicklow's Mountain Rescue Teams say they have responded to 11 incidents of drivers stranded on icy roads in the mountains in the past ten days.

Rescuers said that despite continuous warnings from gardaí, drivers were still attempting to drive the Military road, which links Dublin to Wicklow through the Sally Gap junction.

They said they had to come to the assistance of two cars again last night.

I say let them find their own way out. Utterly selfish
I mentioned couple days ago that anyone going up there should have enough supplies for a week and know how to build a snow shelter

BeardyGit

There's little that can be done to stop folks doing this I'm afraid. I was driving the second landrover, accompanying the teams 110 for both callouts. We did fine the first shout, but by the time we were on the way back up for the second callout, the drifts were hitting hard. Without a MASSIVE tractor having come up the road en-route to rescue another jeep further up which had become stuck hours beforehand, we'd have had a tough, tough night of it. As it stands I was soaked through and the inside of the 'rover is still saturated..... Blizzard type conditions up there last night lads, and the roads up near home here in Roundwood are in deperate condition tonight. Spread the word and make sure folk know that these aren't just 'run of the mill' warnings - The conditions are apalling to be motoring up in the hills....

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Cheerio and enjoy the snow

Alun

Agree 100% with all the above. It must be said however, that Wicklow CC is remarkably slow in removing the signs indicating the Gaps are closed, and I've seen them still in place weeks after the last flake of snow has melted, so maybe that's an issue in people not taking such warnings seriously?

Donny5

Alun wrote: »

Agree 100% with all the above. It must be said however, that Wicklow CC is remarkably slow in removing the signs indicating the Gaps are closed, and I've seen them still in place weeks after the last flake of snow has melted, so maybe that's an issue in people not taking such warnings seriously?

I was up the Gap a while back walking near Lough Tay and there were plenty of eejits up there for the laugh too, backing up and racing as fast as they could up the ice then getting properly stuck.